0800 Numbers

Almost everybody knows that 0800 numbers are free to call. Most companies could benefit from having at least one. They worry though about the perceived cost and risk. However, whilst you may suffer from the occasional timewaster, the value of extra customers generated by 0800 numbers far outweighs any costs lost elsewhere!

However it is possible to save considerably on the prices charged by BT who have the majority of the Market. This is especially true for the small business! Most importantly you don’t need to pay a penny in setup or rental charges and will still pay less per minute to receive the calls than BT.

If you already have an 0800 number, you should consider moving it to a lower cost provider; you are entitled to move it under Oftel rules to another source than BT. However, do not move your number at peak periods for your sales. There is always likely to be a few hours of disconnection between leaving company ‘a’ and porting to company ‘b’. You might experience a day or two without service if BT mess things up, so avoid the Xmas rush or Sales time for the move.

Tips and Tricks

From Orange and One2one mobiles, it is often cheaper for you or your staff to ring the office 0800 number than to pay for a standard mobile call.

Consider getting an 0800 number for your data staff; if they access your network remotely from a Laptop and mobile then again this is sometimes much cheaper than paying standard mobile data rates.

Given that you can set up an 0800 for nothing, why not get one for the house so the children can ring home when they get stuck at the rave!!

For some customers or contacts, you should change your number policy. Give favoured ones your 0800 number, and others you want to avoid your 0990 or even your 0898 number (even if they all port to the same Land line)!